Mind your ‘manors’

I hesitated to post this - it’s been a very quiet time in terms of interaction with people, which is really the part that adds richness and fun to travel stories. 

I stayed Saturday night at Buckland, a manor house dating back to the 13th Century. Its very luxurious and creaking with history (as are the wooden floors in the upstairs hallways which might drive some people crazy.) On the subject of floors, the bathroom floor was heated - It was lovely and I was wishing  we had that at home.

Like all the houses entitled to be called a  “manor” house, Buckland was originally part of a manor, with a church, farmlands, and a village with the usual services (blacksmith, bakery etc). Nowadays, the church is functional and the 10 or so ‘village’ houses nearby are all occupied but there are no shops or services.  It’s set in 10 acres of grounds with a little stream running through it and it’s incredibly tranquil. You walk to the churchyard next door through a very old wooden gate with a fancy iron latch - very “secret garden”

The restaurant was packed at dinner time due to crowds attending the nearby Cheltenham races (steeplechase, not flat) so they couldn’t fit me in.  I had a quiet dinner in the bar, with a crackling fire and a couple of glasses of wine. It would have been nice to have a companion there to chat about the day. I did have a good conversation with the waiter who was planning to go to Australia to work just before we pulled up the drawbridge for Covid protection. During my tour I was thinking that I was fortunate to come at the best possible time of year, with the autumn foliage was a riot of red and orange and yellow, but apparently in spring the ground is covered with bluebells and daffodils, and in winter the snow and frost make it a winter wonderland.

I’m not sure who the owners of these boots are, but I loved seeing them in the foyer.

The breakfast room was particularly lovely and I spent about an hour over breakfast on Sunday morning, enjoying a few cups of coffee while I read the Times, feeling very lady-of-the-manor. before heading off to the train station. 

There was time to have a quick wander around Moreton in Marsh, although most places were closed. Look at the cute free range eggs for sale in the coffee shop. I was also fascinated with the council sign on the community notice board about the gravestones.

I’m back at Heathrow now which is a huge comedown after Buckland. Typical airport hotel surrounds -  grotty, busy roads with limited food options, although there is “Airport Bowl” across the road if I’m tempted to go bowling (very unlikely). I walked down the road a bit to order a late lunch at the Marriott Italian restaurant, which had good reviews. I waited 40 minutes for my food , and then found a piece of metal in it after only a few bites. I may have been rude to the waiter about it… I gave it up as a bad job and waited till dinner for a meal. I’m sitting here over a questionable pepperoni pizza and a nice Shiraz feeling uncharacteristically sorry for myself.